Dispensing apparatus for a plurality of liquids to make a rainbow cocktail



Dec. 11, 1962 D. NERI ETAL 3,067,912

DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR A PLURALITY OF LIQUIDS TO MAKE A RAINBOW COCKTAIL Filed Oct. 17. 1960 INVENTORS, DINO N ERL CARM ELO J- NICASTRQ BY F166 ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,%7,91Z Patented Dec. 11, 1962 3,067,912 DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR A PLURALITY OF LIQUIDS TO MAKE A RAINBOW COCKTATL Dino Neri, 215-29 48th Ave, Bayside, Queens, FLY.

and Carmelo J. Nicastro, 75-36 168th St., Flushing,

Queens, NY.

Filed Oct. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 62,959 12 Claims. (Cl. 222-76) The present invention relates to an apparatus adapted to pour a rainbow" or pousse-cafe cocktail. This drink is composed of several liquors of different specific gravities, poured in succession into a glass, heaviest first, whereby the concoction is stratified; adjacent liquors being different in color.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus of the character mentioned, which includes a supply of the individual liquors from which measured amounts are drawn off and dispensed in succession, so that a number of these cocktails can be served before the reservoirs need be replenished.

A further object thereof is to provide a novel and improved apparatus of the nature described, which will work automatically, that is, upon merely pushing a butten, the apparatus will operate, pour measured amounts of the respective liquors in succession, and then stop by itself in condition ready for the next push of the button for the repetition of the cycle of operation.

Another object thereof is to provide such an apparatus with means to alter the quantity of any liquid dispensed or to omit the dispensing of any of them during a cycle of operation.

A further object thereof is to provide a novel and improved apparatus having the attributes mentioned, which is simple in construction, reasonable in cost, easy to use and efficient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For the practice of this invention, one form it may assume, is to have an upright cylindrical rotor, watertight between an upper and a lower stator. The upper stator member is provided with spaced ducts therethrough, opening in itslower surface; each duct serving as the discharge port from the bottom of a reservoir respectively. These reservoirs may be carried on the top stator. The rotor has a series of spaced independent measuring chambers about its axis; each chamber having an intake port opening in the top surface of the rotor and a discharge port opening in the bottom surface of said rotor. The lower stator is a plate which is the top of a legged table; such table top having an opening therethrough which is communicative with the discharge ports of said measuring chambers in succession, as the rotor revolves. The upper stator has an opening to the atmosphere, in alignment and the extent of the opening through the lower stator which is said table top. When the discharge opening of any measuring chamber is in communication with the opening in the lower stator, the intake opening of such chamber is in communication with said opening to atmosphere. A spillway or chute is fixed below the opening in the table plate. to guide discharged liquid into a glass. At one position of the rotor, its chambers become communicative with the reservoirs respectively. At all other positions of said rotor, all reservoir discharge ports are closed. The intake ports of the rotors chambers are equi-angularly spaced and a means is provided, as for instance a Geneva movement driven by an electric motor, to shift the rotor from station to station so that the filled chambers shall empty in succession through the opening in the table top. An electrical circuit is provided to start the motor by pushing a push button switch, and a cam on the rotor operates a switch to automatically open the motor circuit upon the completion of one cycle of operation of the apparatus which requires one revolution of the rotor during which. said rotor dwells for definite periods at each of the stations respectively. If desired, each intake port of the rotors chambers may have an independent valve for its control. The adjustment of each valve will control the intake into its chamber and when such valve is closed, no substance will enter its chamber.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred form of an apparatus embodying the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the upper stator member, which in this embodiment includes the reservoirs.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the rotor which is the memher having the measuring chambers.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the lower stator, which is the top of a legged table in the embodiment shown.

FIG. 5 is a section taken at line 5-5 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 shows a modification in construction embodying a valve to control the intake of a measuring chamber.

FIGS. 2-6 are drawn to one scale.

FIG. 7 is a wiring diagram of the electric motor control circuit.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally an apparatus comprising an upright cylindrical rotor indicated generally by the numeral 16, whose upper surface is in water-tight contact with the bottom surface of a stator 17, and whose lower surface is in water-tight contact with the top surface of another stator member 18 which may be the flat top of a table structure having an underskirt 19 and the legs 20. Said rotor is secured to an axial shaft 21 which is rotatably mounted through the stators 17 and 18. The upper stator 17 is the common bottom wall of a cylindrical member 22 provided with equi-spaced independent ducts, each of suflicient volume to carry a supply of a liquor for the making of many rainbow cocktails. These ducts 23-28 are 45 degrees apart in the embodiment shown and there is another duct 29 which serves as a vent as will be shown. There is a discharge port opening through the bottom wall of each duct 23-28, indicated by the numerals 23'28 respectively, while duct 29 has the bottom opening 29. The opening 23-29 are 45 degrees apart. Each of the openings 23'-28' are in spaced circular lane respectively.

The rotor member 16 has internal chambers of predetermined capacity respectively, their total capacity being for one rainbow cocktail. These chambers 33-38, one serving each of said supply ducts or reservoirs 23-28 respectively, have upper intake port openings 33'-38' respectively, and bottom discharge port openings, only two of which are shown, namely 34" and 38 of the measuring chambers 34 and 38 respectively. The intake port openings 33-38 of the rotor 16 are in the identical formation as the discharge openings 23'-28' of the reservoirs, so that at one position of the rotor 16, the discharge port openings 23'-28 of the upper stator 17, and the intake ports 33' to 38 are in register respectively. The opening 29 is radial, and of sufficient length to be successively in communication with the rotors intake ports 33-38' as said rotor rotates. Directly opposite said opening 29, the bottom stator 18 has a radial slot 18' which is of sufficient length to be successively in communication with the rotors discharge port openings which are in the format of its intake port openings.

To maintain the assembly of the stators 17 and 18, andv to effect their water-tightness with the rotor 16, there are a number of posts secured fast to the table plate 18, passing through holes 31 in member 17 in which they slidably fit, and such member '17 is held down by the action of the compression coil springs 32 against the adjustable nuts 32 threaded at the top ends of said posts. A similar association is provided at 40 for the shaft 21.

Beneath the table, an electricmotor 41 is carried to drive the shaft 21 by meansof a suitable transmission device, as forinstance a Geneva movement indicated at 42, to give the rotor "16 eight angular shifts about its axis of revolution, of degrees each with sufficient dwell to permit the filling andthe emptying of the measuring chambers as the case may be, between such shifts. The motorspeed being proper for such purpose or the needed speed may be had by employing a suitable gear reductiondevice (not shown) as is well understood in the machine art.

Referring to the electrical circuit diagram shown in FIG. 7, the motor 41 is connected to the conductors 43 and 44 of an electrical cord terminating in a plug whose male prongs 45, 46 are adapted for connection to an electrical supply outlet. Interposed in the conductor 43, are two switches connected in parallel. The switch 47 is of the spring-biased push button type and normally open. The switch 48 may be of the micro-switch type and is normally closed. Both switches may be mounted on the table plate 18, and a cam 49 is provided on the periphery of the rotor member 16, in position to open the switch 48 upon the completion of the cycle of operation.

At normal rest condition, the rotor member 16 is in the position shown in FIG. 3, in relation to the fixed stators 17 and 18 shown respectively in the FIGS. 2 and 4. All the reservoir discharge openings 23-28 are closed. All theintake port openings 33'-38 and all the discharge port openings 33-38 of the rotor member 16 are closed and all the measuring chambers 33-38 of said rotor are empty. The cam 49 holds the switch 48 in open condition. The rotor direction is clockwise when shifted intermittently by action of the herein provided Geneva movement 42, which is designed to give the rotor eight shifts of 45 degrees each, per revolution of the said rotor member 16.

Of course, the reservoirs 23-28 are filled with their respective liquors; the one of greatest specific gravity in 23, the next largest in specific gravity in 24, and so on down to reservoir 28 which will house the liquor of least specific gravity. A suitable removable cover not shown, may be provided for the top of the member 22.

To operate the apparatus 15, the switch 47 is closed by hand, whereupon the motor 41 will run and the first shift of the rotor member 16 will commence. Hence, very soon, the operator can let go of the switch 47, whereupon it will return to open condition, but the motor circuit continues closed because as soon as the cam 49 has shifted a bit, the switch 48 will automatically return to its normal closed condition. At the end of the first shift of the rotor 16, it will remain at rest a determined time, and it is evident that now the intake port openings 33-38 of the rotor are respectively in communication with the discharge port openings 23'-28' of the reservoirs 23-28, while all the discharge port openings 33"-38" of the rotor are closed. During such dwell, all the measuring chambers 33-38 will be filled simultaneously, each from only one of the reservoirs respectively. The rotor now contains the measured ingredients which will comprise the rainbow or pousse-cafe cocktail. Now, the rotor 16 is given its second shift, whereupon soon after the commencement thereof, all the port openings 23'-28 and 33'-38' are closed and the second shift ends and there is a dwell of the rotor member where the intake port opening 33 registers with the air vent opening 29', and the discharge port opening 33" registers with the plate opening 18', thereby permitting the contents of the measuring chamber 33 to pour out through theopening 18, onto the chute of spillway member 50 and thence guided onto the rim lane of the interior wall surface of a glass which had been so initially placed. It is evident that as successive shifts of the rotor 16 occur, the discharge port openings of the measuring chambers will come successively into register with the opening 18, one at a time, to allow the discharge of the rotors contents into the glass. At the completion of one revolution of the rotor member 16, the cam 49 will shift the switch 48 to open condition, whereupon the motor will stop. The apparatus is now at normal rest position.

The number of shifts per revolution of the rotor 16, is at least one more than the number of measuring chambers, and as provided in the embodiment illustrated, the number of shifts per revolution of the rotor is two more than the number of measuring chambers, so that at normal rest position, the port openings of the last-emptied chamber 38, shall also be closed, otherwise they would be open for they would be in register with the openings 29 and 18' respectively. Of course, Geneva movement and the motor speed are chosen so that the dwell interval between rotor shifts shall be such time interval as is sufiicient to fill and then sufficient to empty that measuring chamber which is of greatest volume. The capacity of the measuring chambers 33-38 respectively, may be different or they may be alike. If desired, each intake port opening of the measuring chambers may have its individual control valve as indicated for instance at 51 in FIG. 6, so as to be able to vary the intake. When such a valve is closed, it is evident that one ingredient is omitted from the cocktail. Thereby, the constituents of the cocktail may be chosen. Such valve-provided embodiment may be set with all the valves partly closed and yet in aggregate give the total cocktail volume. Then with settings where intakes are adjusted or one or more omitted, the remaining valves can be set to yield the total required volume for the cocktail.

This invention is capable of various forms and numerous applications involving liquid mixtures of all kinds, without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description and showing herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. In a dispensing apparatus for a plurality of liquids to make a rainbow cocktail the combination of a rotor member having a plurality of independent measuring chambers, an upper stator member having a bottom surface, a lower stator member having a top surface; said rotor being between said stators and having a top surface in liquid-tight face-to-face contact with the bottom surface of the upper stator and a bottom surface in liquidtight face-to-face contact with the top surface of the lower stator; said rotor being rotatable between said stators, about an upright axis; each measuring chamber having its own intake port, opening in the top surface of the rotor and its own discharge port, opening in the bottom surface of said rotor; the opening of the discharge port of each measuring chamber, in the bottom surface of the rotor, being relatively small whereby its related intake port need be exposed to atmosphere to permit the contents of the measuring chamber to flow through its discharge port; the lower stator having a main passage therethrough, opening in its top surface; said discharge ports of the measuring chamber being communicative with said main passage opening, one at a time as the rotor is revolved; the upper stator having a passage therethrough, serving as an air vent; said intake ports of the measuring chambers being communicative with said vent opening, one at a time as the rotor is revolved whereby when a.

discharge port of a measuring chamber is communicative with said main passage opening in the lower stator, the intake port of such measuring chamber is communicative with said vent opening in the upper stator; said upper stator also having independent passages therethrough, connected to a plurality of reservoirs respectively, serving as the discharge ports for said reservoirs respectively and opening in the bottom surface of said upper stator; each of the intake port openings of said measuring chambers being communicative only with a different one of said reservoir discharge port openings respectively for a predetermined period of time as the said rotor is revolved.

2. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said intake port openings of the measuring chambers is simultaneously communicative with such different one of the reservoir discharge openings for a predetermined period of time as the rotor is revolved.

3. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the reservoirs are carried on the upper stator.

4. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 1, including :1 valve means on the rotor, for controlling the intake port of a measuring chamber.

5. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 1, including valve means on the rotor, one for each of the intake ports of the measuring chambers respectively, for independently controlling said intake ports respectively.

6. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the intake port openings of the measuring chambers are equi-angularly spaced about the axis of rotation of the rotor; the aggregate of such angular distances being less than 360 degrees and each such angular distance being an equal division of 360 degrees.

7. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 6, including a first means for moving the rotor about its axis intermittently said angular distance with a dwell of predetermined duration between such movements.

8. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said first means is a Geneva movement device.

9. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 7, including an electric motor for operating said first means, a supply of electrical energy to operate said motor; one terminal of said motor being electrically connected to one terminal of said supply, a conductor electrically connecting the other terminal of the motor to the other terminal of said supply, a first normally open switch and a second normally closed switch; said switches being connected in parallel and interposed in said conductor and means on the rotor member for opening the second switch when said rotor is at a predetermined dwell position.

10. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the means on the rotor for opening said second switch is a cam.

11. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the first switch is of the push-button type.

12. A dispensing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the intake port openings of the measuring chambers are equi-angularly spaced about the axis of rotation of the rotor; the aggregate of such angular distances being less than 360 degrees; each such angular distance being an equal division of 360 degrees and wherein the number of said measuring chambers is at least two less than the total number of said divisions included in 360 degrees.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 805,380 Raymond et al Nov. 21, 1905 2,369,251 Reynolds Feb. 13, 1945 2,597,063 Catanzano May 20, 1952 2,817,463 Stokes Dec. 24, 1957 

